Unacademy’s Gaurav Munjal urges startup founders to choose Bengaluru over Mumbai, Delhi for success

Gaurav Munjal, the co-founder and CEO of the edtech giant Unacademy, has advised aspiring entrepreneurs to consider relocating to Bengaluru for a higher chance of success. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Munjal emphasized that the startup environment in Bengaluru is more favorable compared to Mumbai and Delhi.

Expressing his views, Munjal stated, “I don’t think you should be based out of Mumbai or Delhi, I think you should be based out of Bangalore. Come to Bangalore, increase your odds (of being successful). I don’t think you should be optimizing for anything other than your product market fit in the beginning.”

Highlighting the importance of commitment and dedication, Munjal emphasized the need for entrepreneurs to prioritize their goals over personal comforts. “You will have to sacrifice a lot of things and a lot of people don’t. So you have to go all the way in and only then you will win,” he added.

While acknowledging Mumbai as a “better city” for leisure activities, Munjal stressed that Bengaluru offers a more conducive environment for startups. He stated, “I think Mumbai is a better city than Bangalore. If I have to spend a weekend, I will choose Mumbai, but if you’re starting up, Bangalore — which has a slower pace than Mumbai — the odds of your success increase a lot.”

Explaining the rationale behind his recommendation, Munjal cited Bengaluru’s robust ecosystem of innovation, which sets it apart from other cities. Despite facing various challenges, Bengaluru remains the top choice for startups due to its supportive ecosystem, according to Munjal.

Unacademy, founded in 2015 by Gaurav Munjal, Hemesh Singh, and Roman Saini, has emerged as a prominent player in the edtech industry. With significant investments from firms like Temasek, SoftBank, and General Atlantic, Unacademy has achieved substantial growth and was valued at around USD 3.44 billion in 2021 after raising USD 877 million.